Gustavus Adolphus College

The Department of Music at Gustavus Adolphus College concludes the month of April with four senior recitals in Jussi Bjorling Recital Hall and Christ Chapel. ‘Cellist Christa Saeger, trombonist Glade Sietsema and pianist Matthew Wilberg present their final recitals in the recital hall April 26 and 27 while organist Joshua Pioske plans his senior performance in Christ Chapel.

‘Cellist Christa Saeger, a senior from Maple Grove and a student of Professor Joseph Rogers, opens the weekend of recitals with accompanist Beth Winterfeldt in Bjorling Recital Hall at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26. She will open her recital with George Chadwick’s Romanza for Violoncello and Piano. With senior clarinetist Rachel Braband, Christa continues with the Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello by Johannes Brahms and concludes her recital with the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in D minor by Dmitri Shostakovich.

At 3:30, trombonist Glade Sietsema will present his senior recital accompanied by pianist (and sister) Ana Sietsema Hulzebos. Sietsema, a senior from Lindstrom and a student of Scott Moore, will open with Four Serious Songs by Johannes Brahms and Sonata No. 1 by Johann Galliard. He will conclude the afternoon recital with Eric Ewazen’s three movement Sonata for Trombone and Piano.

Saturday’s evening recital is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. This recital will feature senior organist Joshua Pioske, a student of David Fienen. Pioske, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, will open his recital with J. S. Bach’s Praeludium et Fuga in c, and Jan Bender’s Auf, auf, mein Herz: A Chorale Fantasia. He continues with Mendelssohn’s Sonate VI, Op. 65, No. 6 and another work by Bach, Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Ehr before concluding his senior recital with Cesar Franck’s Piece Heroique.

Matthew Wilberg’s senior piano recital is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Bjorling Recital Hall. Wilberg is a graduate of St. Paul Central High School and lives in St. Paul. He studies piano at Gustavus with Esther Wang. With fellow percussion students, Wilberg will present Prelude and Fugue for 3 Marimba. At press time, the remainder of his program was not available.

The four senior recitals this weekend are free and open to the public. A reception for the recitalist is scheduled to follow the recital.